Erling Misael Montenegro

Fincas Las Neblias named after the fog that covers the area at sunrise and sunset is owned and managed by Erling Misael Montenegro – a young, innovative, and enthusiastic producer. He was born into a family of coffee producers, his father, Guillermo Montenegro, owns the well-known Finca El Poste in Dipilto as well.

Erling’s passion for coffee began at an early age, leading him to pursue agronomy as a career. He worked as a PECA technician at Caravela in Nicaragua for over four years, advising producers in the region before, eventually, deciding to become a full-time coffee producer. Now he produces high-quality coffee, of which 90% is sold as specialty coffee, and only 10% is sold on the local or lower-quality market, usually the picking.

Today, Erling specializes in producing washed coffees with a fermentation time of 26 to 32 hours. He believes that good plant health, picking only ripe cherries, and good processing practices are critical to producing excellent coffee. He grows several varieties, which as distributed as follows: 60% Catuai, 10% Caturra, 10% Maragogype, and 20% Catimor. During harvest, he pulps the coffee every day around 4 p.m. and puts it into concrete fermentation tanks. After fermentation is complete, he washes the coffee 2–3 times. Drying takes place at La Estrella Dry mill in Ocotal, which is managed by the Caravela team and takes an average of 12 to 15 days (about 2 weeks).

Erling’s motivation to produce specialty coffee is driven by his desire for sustainability and financial stability. Since deciding to dedicate fully to coffee five years ago, he has made significant changes to the farms infrastructure and improved quality. He thanks his wife, Margarita, for helping him with administrative work and being a pillar for all they do together. Erling shares their focus on building long-term relationshipswith high-quality coffee from Depilto.